The Journey Home
by DragonsWillFly
Summary: The Battle of Hogwarts is over and the pain of loss is felt by everyone, but can two women change this fate? And if so, will the outcome be for the better or will it all come crashing down around them? (eventual Bellamione)
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **_Yes... even I have jumped on the lovely time-turner fic bandwagon! Such a lovely bandwagon it is! But before any of you say, "Not another time-turner fic!" I implore you to read and see that I am going to try something a wee bit different with this one. I am also picking up a bit more steam on my other stories as well, so, hopefully, I will update one of my other stories soon! (Of course I haven't forgotten about them!) One note before you begin to read... reviews are greatly appreciated!Okay... enough with all that... on to the story!

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_**Sixth of May, 1998**_

_**From the Journal of Kingsley Shacklebolt:**_

_**Minister of Magic**_

Time, is it a place, or is it simply a misunderstanding that one can simply travel back in time and change an event? Many have pondered this same question since the very idea of time travel was invented. If it was in fact possible, could the present (which in the case of a person who has travelled to the past, the future) be changed by even the slightest decision said time-traveller makes? Would this time-paradox cause a whirlwind of catastrophic proportions within the future? Or has the present taken into account that the time-traveller has already travelled to the past, thus only confirming what decisions that are made in the future were already predetermined?

These questions and countless others have been asked by many scientists who theorise the possibility of time travel. The only reason why an answer has never been formulated is because of the constant debate on whether or not time is actually a place or whether it is all relative. (We, as witches and wizards, know that time-travel is real, but the theory of going back in times several years is considered taboo, even within our society.)

This fact is just one of the topics that will be raised within. Since time travel has been accomplished within the wizarding world (though it has been only within a few hours' time span) and the ramifications of tampering with objects and people within the past has been theorised, the truth of the matter is, it has never been fully documented with physical evidence. No evidence to prove whether or not going back in time to simply save someone's life or end someone's life has any ill effects on the future. In theory, killing a despot or saving one in the past would alter the course of history therefore altering the present, but, what if the present circumstances stand the same, only the face of who is in power changes? Could one say that the present was altered by time travel? The truth is, no one knows for certain because no one has ever tried to tamper with any major part of history while travelling back in time.

The Department of Mysteries regulates items like the Time-turner because if they were to fall into the wrong hands, who knows what would happen. Only witches and wizards of special renown can be obliged with such a privilege. One in particular is Professor Minerva McGonagall. Though her usage of the Time-turner is regulated, she is one of the few people in the wizarding community that has been given such a rare opportunity to own one. Recent developments show, however, that she no longer has possession of said Time-turner and has not had it on her person for a few years. Unregulated time-travel usage spikes were noticed in 1993, the source: Hogwarts Castle.

For years, Ministry officials have kept a close eye on the school. After the one instance, no others have followed. For five years things remained quiet within the hallowed halls of the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry, that is until the fifth of May in 1998 when yet another influx was detected. Many within the Ministry have failed to make any connection to this date. They believe that the date has no bearing on the choices of whoever has McGonagall's time-turner, but I believe it does.

On May second, the battle of Hogwarts raged. Many people died that day. Most of them Death-Eaters, but a few members of the Order of the Phoenix also left this earth. Nymphadora Lupin and her husband, Remus Lupin, perished when Death-Eaters stormed into the castle. Ron Weasley met his end while being preoccupied battling Yaxley, he never even saw the giant's foot as it crashed down from overhead. Neville Longbottom, though his bravery in battle had not been in vain, his sole kill within the battle also damned him to his own death. Right before Longbottom sliced the head off of Voldemort's serpent, Nagini, the snake had bitten the young wizard. A few hours later, his body was discovered amongst the dead in the courtyard with only the telltale sign of a snake-bite being his only wound. Then finally, the one whom was quite a shock to all of us within the wizarding community... Harry Potter, who had slipped out of the safety of the castle walls during the calm before the final showdown to try and defeat Voldemort on his own. The battle that ensued in the Forbidden Forest was never witnessed by anyone within the Order, but the account was given to us by an unlikely source: Narcissa Malfoy.

Based on her report, Harry had appeared out of nowhere and started attacking the dark wizard. The battle appeared at a stand-still, though the witch knew that the older wizard could have easily bested the boy. "It seems as if they could never quite hit one another with a spell," Mrs. Malfoy explained to me the next day.

Dumbledore had a theory that he had explained well before his death. The headmaster believed that Harry was a horcrux and that is the reason why Voldemort had such a hold on the boy's soul. Albus also told me he believed the boy would survive his encounter with the dark wizard... if only my dear old friend paid close attention to the prophecy.

_'__The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies …'_

It was clear as day. Harry was never to survive his battle with the darkest wizard of our time. Even if he had, the prophecy never foretold that the Death-Eaters would ensure that the boy would never survive. Countless times, Albus had relied on the council of Severus Snape, a man that the headmaster believed was redeemed of his life as a Death-Eater proper, but it was all a ruse. Severus had never fully committed to the Light, everything that Dumbledore told the Potion's Master was revealed to Voldemort.

No one within the Order knew of this until Narcissa willingly gave inside information as to what happened during the last few months of the Dark-Lord's life. Living under the same roof as that man and his Inner Circle was hell for the youngest of the Black sisters. Only two things made it bearable for the woman: her son and her sister. A sister who was the faithful lieutenant of Voldemort. A sister who also helped her with the demise of their fearsome leader. Narcissa claims that if it wasn't for those two people, she would have lost her sanity. She almost lost it that night when her husband helped make sure The-Boy-Who-Lived would never live again. She knew she could not run away and hide. She knew she had to remain strong lest she too receive the wrath of the Dark-Lord. Even when her sister was struck down by Voldemort before her dagger finally finished him off, Narcissa remained strong.

Whoever has used the Time-Turner has to be one who was most affected by the outcome of the battle. Someone who feels the weight of guilt draped heavily upon their shoulders. That sort of survivor's guilt would cause anyone to go to extreme measures to ensure that this sort of thing should have never happened in the first place.

I, for one, can understand the appeal this sort of thing would have, but as newly appointed Minister of Magic, I, Kingsley Shacklebolt, have to do what is necessary to keep this person from causing what we at the Ministry believe would be a catastrophic turn of events. If this person is successful with their endeavours, who knows what will become of the world we know.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Fourth of May, 1998**_

Staring out at the ever darkening sky, Hermione looks down upon the war-torn courtyard of Hogwarts. Just a few days ago, this area had been a beautiful place to be. A cobble-stoned courtyard, enclosed in a high stone wall that had archways etched out every ten metres where one could look upon the lush green highland hills; all of this now lie in ruins. All that is left of the once grand courtyard is nothing more than rubble. _'It will take years of hard work before this place looks as it was before,' _the young witch thinks with a shudder.

She was so wrapped up in thinking about the past that she does not notice the door to the Headmaster's office opening with a creak.

"Miss Granger," a voice says softly so as not to startle the younger woman too much.

Hermione does not hear the voice as she continues looking out over the destruction.

The intruder gives a slight cough, causing the brunette to jump slightly at the invasion of privacy, "Miss Granger... Minerva said I would find you here. I need to have a word with you, that is, if you do not mind."

Without even turning around, Hermione knew that voice. It was a voice that she had learned to hate in the past. The voice of one of her captors, a voice that could be as cold as ice when she was speaking to anyone else besides her son. It was the voice of Narcissa Malfoy.

"What is there to talk about Ms. Malfoy? Shouldn't you be off somewhere enjoying your new found freedom?" Hermione asks, but does not wait for an answer as she turns away from the window and walks towards the door. "I don't think I have anything to say to you."

Narcissa rolls her eyes at the brunette. It has been a rough couple of days for everyone that has stayed behind in the castle and she will not tolerate childishness from a young woman that is known for her calm, collected reasoning.

"You know you are not the only one who lost friends that day!" Narcissa shouts at the retreating back of the other witch, "Damn you, Hermione. I need to talk to you! I wish you Gryffindors were not all so stubborn!"

Hermione stops at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the office she was moping in and sighs. She knows Narcissa is right, everyone lost friends and family that day, including the witch who stood at the top of the stairs. The brunette realises that even though the blonde had been her captor, she had also been the woman, along with her late sister, Bellatrix, to turn the tide in the battle. If it wasn't for Narcissa Malfoy, who knows what the outcome of the battle may have been.

Turning around and walking slowly back up the stairs she just came down, the younger witch stares at the floor when she reaches the office, "What is it you want to talk about Ms. Malfoy?"

"Listen, I know you are hurting right now, we all are..." the blonde stops and looks around the room. It looks as it did when she had attended the prestigious school, back in a time when things were more normal, or so they seemed to Narcissa at the time.

Back then the Black sisters seemed to have it all going their way. No one was repulsed by their family name, everyone respected each of them for the intelligent witches they were. It was before Andromeda had started to court the mudblood, Ted Tonks, and before Bellatrix and Narcissa were forced into their arranged marriages. Those were the good days. The days that Narcissa wished were upon her now instead of the bleak, long road to recovery that she now faces.

This is the exact reason Narcissa went to talk to Hermione today. The blonde witch knew that Minerva owned a time-turner and had, earlier, discussed in great length with a slightly intoxicated, newly appointed headmistress, Minerva had taken the Battle of Hogwarts very badly and was constantly seen around the hallowed halls smelling slightly of firewiskey, where one could put in a request for a time-turner. At the time, Narcissa knew it was a long shot to ask, seeing how much of a disarray the Ministry of Magic is at the current time, but she knew she just had to ask her old professor; maybe McGonagall could give her a few pointers on how to go about talking to a Ministry official about said item even though she knew, they will merely brush her off before she barely finished the first few stanzas of her highly prepared speech.

Minerva could not, however, give her tips on how to talk to anyone within the Ministry, but she did one better: she told Narcissa where _her _time-turner was and this is what brought her to find Hermione.

"Mrs. Malfoy? Mrs. Malfoy?!" Hermione says as she waves her hand in front of the older witch's face, "MRS. MALFOY!"

Narcissa realises that she has been silent for quite sometime and pulls herself from the grasp of her memories, "I'm sorry... I was saying something, wasn't I? Oh yes," The blond witch says as she finally remembers where her train of thought had left off, "I know we have all lost someone Hermione... we are all hurting in some form or another, but we must work together to rebuild with what we have left. We cannot dwell any longer on the past, if we are to survive our future."

The older witch knows with all of her heart that this statement she just uttered was a complete and total lie. Nothing will ever be the same, everyone lost too much for life just to pick up where it had left off before. Life may seem a bit brighter as a whole, but the darkness of loss was just too much for all to bear. Fate may have offered a boon to Narcissa in the form of the death of her husband, but that small happiness in her life was not enough to take away the pain of losing her older sister nor the torment that her son, Draco, felt every time he closed his eyes. If things were to change, the older witch knows she has to play her cards just right in order to coax the younger witch into even thinking that the idea of a different, more pleasant present was what needs to happen.

"But..." Hermione sighs as she looks up at the cracked ceiling of the Headmaster's office, "We've won. Can't we just take this time to mourn our friends and family properly? Everything is over, but the cost... I lost two of my best friends! Well... I guess they were my best friends. I spent the past seven years tolerating their company, though it could have been a bit better. I... never mind."

Sensing hesitation in the younger woman, Narcissa speaks gently as if anything louder than a whisper would scare Hermione's thoughts back into the dark recesses of her mind, "I know what you mean... it happened a lot to my sisters and I. Always known as the swot, am I right?"

The younger witch stares at Narcissa in amazement causing the older woman to chuckle slightly, "Yes, we were always known for having our noses buried within a book, but it is not something that most people remember when they think upon the Black sisters. Sure, we did have our fair share of adventures while enrolled in Hogwarts, but nothing like what I have heard you and your friends got into."

Hermione scoffs, "I would never say that I went into those adventures willingly. That I can assure you. If it wasn't one thing, it was another with those two," the younger witch turns towards Narcissa and smiles, "You know, to this day, I still do not understand why I spent as much time as I did with them. Everything that I ever did, they made a joke of it all. My heritage, my study habits... just everything, yet I still stuck with them through thick and thin."

The brunette turns away from Narcissa and walks back to the window that the older woman had found her sitting at earlier, "I had often wondered, while travelling the past few months with Ron and Harry, what my life would have been like if I had just stopped trying to fit in with them. What would everything have been like if there was no war, no suffering, and most importantly, no having to act as though I am a babysitter to two insufferable prats!"

"You didn't have to babysit them, Hermione. Dumbledore would have always found another person to do so. It wasn't as if he forced you to do it."

"I know, but I always felt obligated to do so. They saved me from a troll our first year at Hogwarts, and I guess that I always felt as though I owed them. I just wish that things would have went differently is all. I wish that I had never met them. I wish that there was no bloody war. No tyrant to have tried to take over the Wizarding world. I wish there was a way to just go back and change every single thing that had happened and keep all these innocent lives from leaving this world so early." Hermione stops and sighs for what seems like the hundredth time since Narcissa had walked into the Headmaster's office, "I must sound like a right fool for wishing things differently. I know one can not change what fate has brought upon us all, but it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?"

Mrs. Malfoy tries hard to conceal the elation she feels when she hears the younger witch confess her inner most thoughts. The blonde had anticipated these very words to fall from Hermione's lips, but was unsure when they would have been uttered. The past few days since the battle had ended, the brunette had shuffled through the corridors of Hogwarts in a melancholic state, never allowing a brief glance upon a living soul. If she did happen to glance in someone's direction and make eye-contact, the other person could see the torment that was eating away at the soul of the young woman who was once part of the Golden Trio- survivor's guilt. An emotion that could never be avoided by a person who has seen as much as Hermione has seen, yet it is an emotion that no one should ever bully themselves into taking on. As Narcissa knew, the girl had always tried to keep the two boys out of trouble. Hermione tried with all her might to keep Ron and Harry from bringing others into trouble, but no matter how hard she tried, the boys were a magnet to any and all inconveniences.

After a few moments, the youngest of the Black sisters breaks the silence, "I don't think it is foolish for you to think as you do, Hermione. One always wishes to change the past in some form or another, others just do not voice the opinion as you have." Narcissa stares at the younger witch, "I have told you before... everyone has lost someone in these past few days. Hell, everyone has lost someone since the Dark-Lord's second rise to power. Everyone just deals with it differently, take your professor for example... Minerva may act as though she remains stalwart through this rebuilding process, but you know as well as I do that she is as drunk as Aberforth's goat. What I am trying to say Hermione, is that everyone deals with grief in their own way, but one should not allow that grief to overrun their lives; if a person does not like what has become of their life they should not do as Minerva is doing and allow what is tormenting them to rule their life. The world would be so full of 'should have's', 'could have's', and 'might have's' if everyone did that. If you do not like what has become of your life, you should do something about it; and we all have a way to change what we do not appreciate in our lives, one just needs to realise that they have that tool available to them."

The blonde witch stands up to leave. Walking out the door, she grips the handle and turns one last time to look inside the room. Narcissa sees that her words have sparked a tiny thought behind Hermione's dull, sullen eyes. She knows that the brunette will never voice the thought to her personally, the older witch could only hope that Hermione would tell her what she is thinking. Narcissa would just have to wait and see if Hermione would speak to her again and only then would the older woman mention the Time-Turner that the younger woman has safely stowed away.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Sorry for such a short chapter, but it is a very important chapter! As always, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed, favourited, or followed this story! This story may seem a bit slow in the beginning, but it is all part of my master plan for this story!**_

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_**Fifteenth of May, 1998**_

_**From the Journal of Kingsley Shacklebolt:**_

_**Minister of Magic**_

Ten days have gone by since the use of Minerva's Time-Turner. Ten whole days with nothing changing at all. I have several members of the Department of Mysteries trying to locate any sort of disturbance in the past with no results. Maybe the person who is using the Time-Turner is abiding by the laws that we, in the wizarding community, have set for time-travel, but I am afraid that this is not the case.

The Time-Turner is not showing up within our recent year, so we know the suspect has travelled further back in time than what has ever been tested since the invention of the Time-Turner. The amulets that are used for time-travel were only tested for the wearer to go back, at the most, one day's time. Any amount of time more, and the wearer would be at a risk of causing a change to the time-line. These risks include: running into one's past self, having someone recognise you after seeing your past self mere moments before dressed entirely different, and the worst thing to ever possibly happen... feeling the need to change things. The change of things in the manner does not have to include major alterations within the time-line (i.e.- the signing of a bill of legislature that was previously vetoed, changing if a person has been maimed or injured, or any other example that is within the metre long parchment that is to be signed by anyone who propositions the Ministry for wanting to use a regulated Time-Turner), it could be something minor, like changing the arrangements of books or even moving a decoration in a room that may seem a bit off centre. All of these instances are examples of things that could be changed while someone is using the amulet and all of these "changes" have never been documented on how they could affect the time-line. This is why it is so important that we continue our search for the culprit. Every single day that they are gone, so many unknowns could surface and cause catastrophic events for our present.

I went to Hogwarts yesterday to have a word with Minerva about the situation that we are now faced with and I was quite appalled by her flippant attitude towards the position. I tried to remind her of the problems that might arise out of all of this and to my dismay, she merely scoffed! Of all the times when I need her level-headedness, she turns a blind eye.

In the end, she told me that she does not remember who she gave her Time-Turner to, though I can only assume that she is just saying that to merely hide the person in question. If that is the case, it is a student. A student of high-renown that is worthy of Minerva's secrecy, but I just can not recollect who that could be. After all, Harry and Ron both died within the final battle. They were known throughout Hogwarts as the Golden Duo. Thick as thieves and constantly helping the Order even though, for the most part, they were underage. They are two young wizards who will be sorely missed within the dawning of the new wizarding world, I just wish they could have seen what their sacrifice has made possible.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Fifth of May, 1998**_

_**7:00 A.M.**_

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Hermione takes a deep breath before entering the library. She knew that Narcissa would be there, but was unsure if the blonde witch was awake yet. It was seven in the morning, she knew that almost everyone who stayed behind to help rebuild the castle never woke up before nine and the young witch couldn't blame them. It has only been three days since the battle, and most of the people did not want to relive the memories of what that early morning had brought them, so most of the work was done during the afternoon but eventually the work will have to start earlier, especially if they were to stay on the schedule of opening Hogwarts's door by the start of the new semestre.

Pushing against the mahogany doors, the brunette feels the air she breathed in earlier exhale out of her lungs slowly, almost happily, as the door swings open silently. She hated how things seemed to always seem louder when one tried to be quiet. It seemed as if the inanimate objects were mocking the cautious person with their screeches of protest. Hermione often believed that it was as if the life-less objects wanted her to be caught. Always creaking, groaning, or slamming when all she wanted was to remain unnoticed.

It was something she wanted all her life. To go about said life like a shadow. How the young witch loathed the attentions she received upon entering Hogwarts. It often made her feel as though she were the woman in the novel, _The Scarlet Letter, _except, instead of the letter 'A' brandished upon her chest, it was the letter 'M'. Upon entering the prestigious wizarding school, Hermione knew she would more than likely be treated differently, just as she was at the muggle school she had attended the years prior, but she didn't realise how differently. Every single day seemed as if it were an uphill battle and everyday, something new appeared to make that struggle grow more steep.

First, it was the fact that everyone knew, as soon as her name was called out from the roster, that she was muggle-born. Then, came the classes. Oh, if only she wasn't logical and studious, the others would have let her be, but no. Most of the pure-blood witches and wizards disliked being shown up and made a fool of in front of their peers, but to be seen as less by a mudblood... the taunts grew worse after that. Being called a 'mudblood swot' was one thing, but it didn't stop there.

Around her Fourth year at Hogwarts, the names become worse. Hermione begrudgingly spent time with the duo, not because she enjoyed their company, but because she felt a sort of debt needed to be paid to the boys. After all, they did save her from a mountain troll during their First year. But the lies and accusations, to her face and behind her back, were enough for her to want to break the somewhat tentative pact she had with the boys. Whore. Harlot. Plus many more. These words hurt the worst because they were not true. She despised ever thinking it wise to spend time with the two young wizards. It was one thing to have insults thrown at you that were true, but it is quite the other when it is all lies. A mudblood swot she was, but never ever a whore. The last time someone called that to her face was their fifth year, around the time of the Yuletide ball. When a sixth year Ravenclaw called her a slut who was trying to climb the social ladder because she had managed to snag Viktor Krum as her date to the ball and the sixth year witch was just upset that Viktor had turned her down. If the Ravenclaw witch only knew that Hermione had merely danced with the 'dumber than a mountain troll' seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch team and left the dance with a very beautiful Fleur Delacour who the young Gryffindor had a huge crush on. It was only after that night, that Hermione realised that it was all just a bet between Fleur and a few other witches from Beauxbatons to see if the half-veela witch could bed the swot of Hogwarts.

The next morning when Hermione found out, she vowed to never ever let anyone into her heart. It had pained her too much to the point where she never wanted to get out of the bed again, but she knew she must keep on going. She did not want others to see that it bothered her, so she acted as if nothing ever happened much to the consternation of the witches of Beauxbatons who quickly turned their torments onto others once they found out that their actions did not even ruffle Hermione.

"I figured you would try to seek me out today, Miss Granger," a voice calls out from the Restricted Section of the room.

"It was just a whim, I never actually thought you would be here, Ms. Malfoy," Hermione says as she moves closer to the darkened area of the library. Madam Pince, when she was alive, would make sure never to light the torches around the Restricted Section so as to keep the students from wanting to go in there. Given the type of books that were housed in the little room, most young witches and wizards stayed well away from it, except for certain members of the Golden Trio, namely the female member, who found within the dark tomes ways to defeat the Dark-Lord.

"Are you surprised to see me in the library? You shouldn't be if you were thinking I might be in here in the first place. As I told you before, my sisters and I were a lot like you in our younger years. We, more oft than not, could always be found in the library studying, doing homework, or just reading for the sheer joy of it all. It was the best way to keep warm in the winter time or cool during the summer." Narcissa closes the book she was reading and smiles, "I remember the study my parents had, granted, father would never allow us within the room, but when he was away mother would let us satiate our thirst for knowledge. Andromeda and I always loved our time in the Black family library, but it was Bella who craved it more than us. She would try to sneak in even when father was home and was he ever wroth when he found her."

Hermione sits down on a chair on the other side of the table and stares at the older woman, "Why did your father not allow you into the family library?" the younger witch asks, her mind wondering over all the reasons that Cygnus would have to keep his children away from learning.

Narcissa laughs softly as she looks about Hogwarts's library, "You see how many books are within this room, right? Well, imagine a room like this, but instead of tomes laden with spells, potions, and magical history, think instead on one of your muggle libraries. This room was considered the restricted section of our house. Inside were all of the confiscated books that the Black family hid away from the magical world."

"If they confiscated the books because they were muggle books, why did they keep them? Why not burn them instead?"

"That is something that I often wondered myself. Maybe our family thought that there might have been some sort of trickery held within the books, something that would have caused the burner of the books to die or something. Or maybe, they thought that the books might have contained a way to destroy muggles. I know not the reason behind why my ancestors did what they did, but I was happy that they did keep the books preserved. If they didn't, I would have never read the classical literature of the Western world, nor learn the meanings of the philosophies of Eastern civilisation. This knowledge is something that I have treasured for years."

Hermione sits back in her chair and stares at the blonde woman in front of her, her mind spinning, "I am sorry if I sound a bit presumptuous, but I thought you and your sisters, minus Andromeda, hated muggle-borns? But here you are telling me how much you all enjoyed reading muggle literature. I am a bit confused I must confess."

"I understand." Narcissa says, a frown creeping onto her face, "We were not always as close-minded as we seemed. Our father hated how much spirit we all seemed to have and decided to break it with the matches of our betrothal." The witch's face darkens in anger, "Lucius would have never been my first choice in a husband nor would have Rudolphus been considered a choice Bella would have ever made. She despised every and all men so much that even her marriage was never consummated. Father knew she did not appreciate the match, but knew she would never betray him on the matter. I thought she would, however it was Andy who surprised us all.

"She was to marry a Rowle. I can not remember which one now, since it was years ago, but it was a match that father knew would secure his standing within the Pure-blood ranks of the Dark-Lord's regime. Just as mine and Bella's match were..." Narcissa stares off in the distant for a few moments, her mind lost within the remembrance of things past. The memories cause her eyes to flash and dance as if she were living them all over again. After some time, the older woman realises she is not alone and shakes her head to get out of the grasp of the last spider-web tendrils of the past, "I apologise again, the past has a way of coming back to life. Also, I am sorry for my ramblings... you came searching for me for a reason and you have yet to tell me of your reasons to find me. Now what was it that you needed to see me for, Miss Granger?"

"I-i just wanted to let you know that I have been thinking about all that you said yesterday," Hermione says as she picks at an invisible splinter on the edge of the thick wooden table in between them. "I do think of how things would be different. I think about it every moment of my waking life and dream of it while sleeping. Last night, I lay in bed tossing and turning just thinking about how things could be different, but then I realised something. Things can be different!"

Narcissa looks at the younger witch and feigns surprise, "How can things be different, Miss Granger?"

The final member of the Golden Trio reaches into the pocket of her robes and pulls out a small chain with a pendant that the older woman automatically knows as a Time-Turner necklace. _'I wondered if she would have been desperate enough to change the past,' _Narcissa thinks before speaking aloud, "That is not what I think it is, is it?"

"If you are thinking that it is a Time-Turner, then yes, you are right," The young woman says as she places it carefully on the table.

"But, I thought that time travel with one of those is only a few hours?"

"It is, but I have done my research, Mrs. Malfoy. Throughout the decades, witches and wizards have only went back a few hours so as not to be tempted to change things within the present, but what we want is something that will change our current state. If I were to go back far enough in time to change how the outcome of the war was, your sister, Harry and Ron and the rest that died at the Battle of Hogwarts will live and things will be back to normal." Hermione leans forward in her chair and stares at the blonde-haired woman in front of her. Her eyes gleam with the prospect of changing the fate of the bloody battle that occurred only a few days ago.

"But what of the other people who have suffered before the battle of Hogwarts?" The older witch asks innocently.

"I... I didn't think of that," Hermione stares out across the library, though Narcissa notices the young woman sees but without looking at any of the books or tables that are within the room. "I never thought of any of that at all. I have to go." The witch stands up without getting leave from the older woman and walks towards the door, slamming it behind her as she left.

Narcissa sits alone and stares out the window after the young witch leaves. Voices echo through the corridors as the sun crawls higher in the sky, breakfast would be served soon, though she would rather stay within the solitary confines of the library, the witch knows that someone would come looking for her. So she stretches, stands, and walks slowly to the wooden door that Hermione left out of moments before. Turning back to look at the mountain of books she left behind, Narcissa lets out a sigh and opens the door. _'I hope I did not put too much stock into believing she would ever try and change the past,' _the witch thinks to herself as she crosses the threshold and enters the long winding hallway.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Fifth of May, 1998**_

_**4:00 P.M.**_

* * *

Hermione paces back and forth in her room as she thinks over the morning's events. Once she had left Narcissa alone in the library, she sought solace beside the shores of the Black Lake, staring endlessly out upon its murky waters that was, every so often, disrupted by the slow moving tentacles of the giant squid that lurked in the lake's depths. Though at one time, the scene around her would have enabled her to clear her head and focus on what was at hand, that morning nothing could keep her thoughts from flitting around like a golden snitch. It was as if every single plan she had made the night before had been torn asunder at the mere sound of Narcissa's comment about the other people whose lives were damaged before the Second Wizarding War.

She knew that all her plans had to change now when she was reminded of the torments that others had faced before in the First Wizarding War when she was but a baby. Most of the people she knew had been affected during that time. The Weasley's, Neville's parents, Harry's parents, all of them plus many more had suffered greatly within that grievous time. Hermione pinches the bridge of her nose with her right hand as she lets out a sigh, "A whole night's worth of planning all for naught," she mutters to herself as she sits on the windowsill and leans her head against the warm thick paned glass, _'What to do now?' _She thinks to herself as she keeps her eyes closed and massages her temples with the tips of her fingers.

With a sigh Hermione stands up and walks over to the bed in the corner of her make-shift room. Many of the housing areas within the castle were still under repair, but most of the classrooms were in working order and the people who had stayed behind had their pick of any of them. Hermione had chosen one of the classrooms closest to the library so she could spend her down time reading to keep her mind off of the battle, but fate had other plans. Instead of spending her downtime reading, the brunette often finds herself pacing like a caged animal inside the confines of her room or staring out at the grounds from the Headmaster's office wondering why she is still alive when so many others have perished.

_'There has to be something in here that can help me determine how far in time I need to travel to right everything,' _she thinks as she rummages through one of the tall stacks of books laying on her bed. _'If I travel too far, I might miss a valuable time period that might otherwise still occur even if I take out the main problem: Tom Riddle.'_

The pile of books next to the one she is going through teeters dangerously for a few seconds before crashing to the hardwood floor. With a sigh of frustration, Hermione bends down, her fingers barely touching the edges of the thick book when she notices that it contained pictures of different children. Upon closer inspection, Hermione gasps as she realises that it was a yearbook from 1969. _"Why did I ever pick up such a thing?"_ she muses to herself as she shuffles through the pages. She had been so focused on gathering news clippings, magazine periodicals, and even almanacs that she didn't even notice the stray yearbook. Sighing to herself at what she feels is a lost cause, Hermione starts to close the book when she notices a picture on the page. It isn't the picture itself that draws the witch's attention, but rather a certain person in the picture. Black hair cascading like a waterfall around a porcelain face. Dark, penetrating eyes full of wonder stare back through the ageless photo as Hermione takes in the beauty that is a young Bellatrix Black. _'By Merlin, she is gorgeous!' _the young witch thinks to herself as she takes in the rest of the picture of the graduating students from Slytherin House of 1969. Most of the people in the picture were either dead or now locked away in Azkaban for crimes of terror, but in her heart, Hermione feels as if none of that mattered for all she sees when she looks upon the picture is innocence lost at the hands of a madman and the children's parents.

The light of excitement was easy to discern from each of the students' eyes as Hermione looks upon each face. She doesn't see the demons that they eventually become, she only sees hope for the future, though most never saw that hope fulfilled. Something in her mind clicks as she stares at the faces from the past. _This is what I was looking for. This is when he became his strongest. _She thinks as she continues to stare at the picture. _This is the perfect time. Each one of these witches and wizards became a Death Eater after leaving Hogwarts. _Closing the book quickly, Hermione places it on her bed and kneels down to find her beaded bag that had been kicked underneath the bed the day before. As she rummages through its contents, Hermione mentally checks off the items inside. When she is finished checking off her mental check list, the witch stands up and slings the strap over her shoulder. She looks about the room one last time, making sure that she has everything that she will need, and silently walks out the door.

Hermione decides to take a rarely known secret passage through the castle so as not to be seen by anyone, lest she be interrogated for not being in the Astronomy Tower where she was supposed to be helping Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and Professor Vector. She makes quick work of following the twists and turns of the dreary passageway and is suddenly staring at a cloudy spring sky. Hermione runs towards the Forbidden Forest, hoping that no one is watching and attempts to follow her. When she nears the edge of the forest, the brunette slows down and peers to her left side and cautiously studies Hagrid's house. It appeared as though no one was home, but Hermione did not want to press her luck as she slowly edges to the otherside of the hill. A crash resounds from inside the half-giant's cottage causing the young witch to start. Holding her breath, Hermione stares at the front of the cabin praying to whatever gods might be listening, that the door would not open. As the seconds fade to minutes, she slowly relaxes when the door stays firmly shut. _Maybe it was Fang bumbling about the living room, _the witch thinks to herself as she turns her back to the cottage and continues her journey to the forest.

Once she makes it to the safety of the dark recesses of the Forbidden Forest, Hermione slows her pace and stares about in wonder. _How little this place has changed since Harry and I brought Umbridge here. _Hermione thinks to herself as a faint smile crosses her lips. She had enjoyed that day immensly. The look on the horrible witch's face when she was picked up by Gwarp still gave Hermione joy whenever she thought about it. She sighs when she realises that once she changes the timeline, Umbridge would have never had to deal with the centaurs. _I guess it will remain a beautiful memory within my own mind after all of this, _the young witch thinks as she pushes brambles out of her path.

Unbeknownst to Hermione, another person was following her. Narcissa trailing dozens of metres behind the young witch watches with quiet amusement as to what the woman would do in the forest. _Why is she going into the forest? _The older witch asks herself as she creeps through the brambles, silently cursing a thick thorn that digs into the soft skin of her cheek. She continues on in silence, following at a distance which allows her only brief glimpses of the younger woman that she is trailing. As the path twists and turn upon itself, Narcissa takes a deep breath to stifle a surprised cry when she finally stumbles into a large clearing in the forest.

In the middle of the clearing Hermione stands with her hands quickly twisting the hourglass of the Time-Turner. Her voice a murmur that Narcissa can not quite make out because the wind pushes the words in the opposite direction. As the older woman slowly walks closer to Hermione, a fallen branch crunches underneath her boot. She stops and holds her breath, but there is no need. For as soon as the branch snapped, a brilliant light shoots from the necklace and encompasses the young witch. The light shines brighter and brighter until Narcissa has to shield her eyes from the brightness. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the light disappears and when the older woman's eyes finally adjust back to the low level lighting of the forest, she notices she is standing in the glade alone.

Narcissa races over to the spot she had last seen Hermione and stares in disbelief at the empty air. As she stares about the clearing, making sure that she was really alone, the overwhelming silence and the strong presence of magic affirms the realisation of the act she had just witnessed. Narcissa is brought out of her reverie when she feels the slight pain in her cheek from the thorn. As she reached up to touch the side of her face, she notices the wet sticky trail of blood that had dripped down to her jaw. Wiping away the blood, she turns back the way she came and heads back to the castle.

Walking in silence the rest of the way through the forest, the older witch's thoughts turn to the unknown as the first drops of rain, that the clouds had threatened since the beginning of the day, fall to the ground. _Where did she go? At what time period did she stop? And will we ever know the difference in the world once she accomplishes whatever she decided on? _As these thoughts and more flood her psyche, Narcissa takes her wand out of her robe pocket and casts a wordless charm to keep herself relatively dry as the rain falls heavily around her. "I guess we will never know," Narcissa mutters aloud as she finally reaches the heavy wooden doors of Hogwarts' entrance. "We will never properly know, will we?"

* * *

**_Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay, my other stories have taken up most of my time and work has been a bit crazy as of late. I would like to thank everyone for their kind reviews and also thank everyone who favourited and followed this story so far!  
_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: I know, I know... it has been quite some time since I have updated this story! Apologies for that! I have several stories that I am working on at the moment (as you all may notice if you go to my profile page). I was also drawing a bit of a blank when it came to this story. I have the idea of how it will progress, but did not have the slightest clue on how to proceed with it! Hopefully, that is now over!**_

* * *

_**Fifth of May, 1968**_

_**4:00 p.m.**_

* * *

Hermione crashes to the ground with a thud causing the breath she had inadvertently held to gasp out from her lips in a moan. _I guess this is what it feels like when you time-travel past the regulation time, _she thinks as she groans out in pain. She opens her eyes briefly and then snaps them shut as bright sunlight temporarily blinds her. The young witch tries to will away the feeling of vertigo as she swallows back the bile that attempts to force its way out of her mouth when she sits up. As she tries to slow her breathing down, Hermione looks about her surroundings. _Everything still looks the same,_ she thinks as she takes it all in. _Did the time-turner even work? _

She looks about the clearing more closely and notices that it did not look the same as it had before. _There are no scorch marks on that tree over there, _Hermione muses as she stares at the largest tree on the eastern end of the clearing. _And that log was not there when I had left. So I am not in my time, but did it allow me to travel to the time I desired? _She slowly stands when she feels as though her legs could handle her weight. An intense flare of nausea clutches her in its grasps again causing her to double over and grip the sides of her head. She tries to steady her breathing and attempts to will the sickness down, she is unaware of the snapping of twigs behind her.

"What do you think you are doing here?" A voice questions from behind causing Hermione to turn abruptly, her head pounding at the sudden movement. She takes another ragged breath and attempts to answer when at once, the world around her fades to darkness.

Minerva lets out a gasp as she sees the young woman fall unceremoniously to the ground. Rushing over to the stranger's side, the professor inspects the trespasser closely. _No external damage that I can see, _she thinks to herself as she pushes Hermione onto her back. Peering at the younger woman's face, McGonagall searches her memory for anything that could help her to remember the person in front of her. _I have never seen this girl in my life. She can not be a student... perhaps a muggle that has lost their way? That can not be right... the Confundus Charm surrounding the area would keep out muggles. Maybe a new student? But Hogwarts is unplottable and school does not start until September! _The inner turmoil flaring in Minerva's head causes her to bite her lip and look towards the castle. _Dumbledore will know what to do and I just can not leave her like this... Madam Pomfrey must take a look at her. _She glances back at the young woman, trying vainly to understand how she had reached the Forbidden Forest. McGonagall shakes her head slowly before taking out her wand to summon her Patronus. "Bring Dumbledore here," she murmurs when a feline appears from the tip of her wand.

"That will not be necessary, Minerva, for I am here already," a male voice calls out from the thick underbrush at the edge of the clearing. "I happened to be walking the grounds when I felt a shift in the atmosphere in the Forest. I assume you felt it too?" Albus walks out into the clearing towards his friend.

McGonagall nods her head. "I was on my way to speak with the groundskeeper about Pomona's gnome problem when I felt a disturbance." She moves away from the unconscious woman. "This is who I found. She was awake but a bit delirious when I first came upon her. When I questioned her as to why she was here, she turned to look at me, gaped at me as if in shock at what she saw and fainted."

"Did she say anything to you?" the Headmaster asks as he inspects the person on the ground.

"Nothing. It is odd Albus..." Minerva looks around the clearing and sighs. "How did she get here? She should not have been able to make it to the Forbidden Forest. She should not be here at all. Even if she is a student here. She should have went home yesterday with the others. She should..."

"She is not a student here, Minerva," Dumbledore states as he kneels down beside Hermione, peering over his moon-shaped glasses he glances back up at the professor. "I do not recognise her as a student."  
"Do you think she was sent as a spy? You-Know-Who has been trying to mount a defence against you for years. I know he has been trying to rally the Slytherins against you. Most of the seventh years already joined the Dark Side, and who knows how many of the seventh years next semestre will join. I shudder to think that He has been recruiting young witches and wizards."

"I don't think she is a spy either." Dumbledore stands up and gently runs his hand through he beard as he stares off into the forest. "If she was a spy, she would not have been able to get through the wards. Something is not right here." He turns to face the older witch. "Do you remember anything... anything at all that could help us determine who she is? What did she do? Did she looked confused? Please try to remember, Minerva."

The witch bites her lower lip as she tries to think of anything that seemed odd about the young witch before she passed out. Shaking her head slowly, Minerva speaks, "I can't think of anything, Albus." Suddenly, her eyes grow large as a thought crosses her mind. "She looked about the clearing as if she were looking for something. And she did act as though she knew the area for some reason. There was also a glow about her neck. She had actually reached her hands towards her neck. She seemed quite out of it after she had stood up... almost as if she had _Apparated _for the first time."

"A glow?" Dumbledore asks, his brow furrows in confusion as he stares at his friend. "What colour?"

"There wasn't a colour to it, Albus," Minerva backtracks as she realises that he took her words literally. "It was more like a reddening of her neck... like she had rubbed it raw. Like it itched her or something. With the way the sun reflected off of it, it made it seem as if it were brighter than the rest of her skin."

The Headmaster sighs in defeat as he rests his hands on his hips. "Standing around here all day will not help this young woman, and it will not help us figure out who she is or where she is from. Let us take her to Madam Pomfrey, I am sure she will be able to help the young woman back to health, whatever the reason she fainted." He takes his wand out of his robes and in one quick motion, Hermione is lifted gently off the ground. A low groan comes out of her mouth causing the two professors to stare at each other. "Quickly now," Dumbledore exclaims as he starts walking at a fast pace towards the castle.

"Do you think she is allright, Albus?" Minerva asks as she hurries to catch up to the wizard.

"Only time will tell," he replies as he moves quickly down the path. "I just hope that she did not cause any interior damage when she _Apparated _here."

"I just hope she is able to tell us what exactly she was doing here. Will we need to get Veritaserum from Slughorn? I think it might be wise... we must exercise extreme caution, Albus."

"I do not think it will be necessary, Minerva. I do not sense any Dark Magic on her."

Professor McGonagall stops in her tracks as she stares at the Headmaster's retreating form. "Have you gone mad, Albus? I did not sense Dark Magic on her either, but that does not mean she is here by a simple mistake! What if she is here for other nefarious deeds? You do realise that the castle is home to many relics from the Goblin Wars and there are several dozen tomes within your personal library that can set a thief up for life! Even some of Slughorn's potions are worth several thousand galleons! If I were you..."

Dumbledore stops once they reach the edge of the Forbidden Forest and turns to stare at the witch. "Listen to yourself," he says calmly. "If she were a thief, why did she pass out shortly after arriving? Wouldn't you think that a merchant from the Black Market would pick a better rogue than that? Besides..." Albus smirks, his eyes glitter with mischief. "Who has better security than Hogwarts?"


End file.
